Part 10) Alive?

"Here we go. The scanner will be able to pick up spikes in radiation, energy surges, atypical EM waves all the usual signs of alien technology now since we are activating it inside the hub it will go berserk initially but then its signal will radiate out across Cardiff. Dylan and I've hooked it up to the monitor which will show us if any alien tech is being stored approximately within the city limits," Marnie said dancing about the equipment. We all stood in the heart of the hub and the anticipation was thick in the air. Their base was under threat and now it was beyond the job for them it was hitting home. Everyone wanted the Slitheen dealt with as soon as possible. I stood back to let Dylan and Marnie finish prepping the machinery and couldn't help but bite my nails. This will lead to the aliens and possibly Andy.

But more likely Andy's corpse.

"Here we go," Marnie said picking up the device scavenged from the ood. She held the thing in her hand. It still looked a lot like a gun to me and I suppose she saw it too because when she pulled the trigger she was pointing it at the wall instead of facing the expecting expressions of her coworkers. Her entire body shuddered and moments after everyone else shuddered in a similar manner. You felt a physical pulse pass through your body as if knocked back by a wave. The monitors started beeping and there were red lights popping up all over the screen.

"First wave. It's just telling us what we already know that the hub is loaded with alien technology from across time and space. Give it a moment," she said holding up her hand as if for dramatic effect and the monitor went silent. We watched as the wave moved outwards from the center of the map and passed through Cardiff.

"Will it be felt like that everywhere?"

"Only near the center and it will be explained away as an earthquake," Dylan said watching the monitor. There was a lot riding on the results of this scan. There was a huge knot in my stomach. I haven't been this anxious since the moving my Dad into St. Winifred's nursing home. I could see the intersection on the grid where the police station was and I tightened my fists as the pulse approached the station. When it passed over there was a beep. A red light highlighted the police station and then there was a second at the court house. The signal from the court house was larger though.

"Of course, they are based there," Jack said grabbing his coat and pulling his arms through its sleeves. "We need to divide and conquer. Half of us go to the police department to find whatever the Sterlington imposter may have left behind and half to go to the court house. They didn't have an image of me to release to the press and I have some contacts within the municipality that should prevent the Slitheen from causing any additional trouble. Robyn and Dylan, go the police department search for any signs of the alien technology and take custody of Carwyn Adams. Marnie will come with me to the court house. Hopefully we will be able to persuade the Slitheen and the Ood into leaving."

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Stay here. Watch the monitors. The skin suits require the Slitheen to compress themselves and those compressors will turn up on the monitor if they begin advancing on the Hub, call and we will come back. The hub is all but impregnable you should be safe in here."

"Excuse me. I can take care of myself why should I stay here and sit tight. These are my friends being threatened!"

"And your face has been splashed across the news with the word terrorist in the caption. If we take you out there then you could disappear like Andy or be thrown in jail like Carwyn. We will sort out the politics after the threat has been eliminated. We have that power but not right now. Stay and watch," Jack said heading for the door the others filed out behind him. Marnie paused and jogged back to give me a hug.

"Everything will be just fine," she said.

"Yeah, I hope so. Look, if anything bad happens don't abandon him please. I know this probably sounds insane but no matter what even if he dies don't leave him," I said holding her tight.

"I promise and thank you," she said running after the rest of the team leaving me alone in the hub. "I'm glad that the Captain didn't give you the retcon."

Every five minutes I sent out another pulse and the red dots signifying alien technology never moved from the court house and the police department. I might have used that time to explore the hub but it was rather eerie to be there alone. I could hear the sounds of weevils coming up from the cellars and the distant humming of alien machines whose functions I could barely guess at. I sat down to a computer and searched the data bases for everything they had on the Slitheen family which wasn't a lot. Everything the computer had to say Jack had already summed up neatly. After I was satisfied I wasn't going to learn anything new about the alien invaders at hand I sat alone for a while contemplating and debating before I reopened the search program and typed in: Gwen Williams.

When nothing came up I tried Gwen Cooper and that brought up my Mum's personnel file which was password protected. It was strange to me that the information about the aliens had been so easy to find but information on past employees was secure. Perhaps, it was to keep the new employees from getting frightened out of their jobs. Torchwood employees have a very short life expectancy after all. I'll need to ask Jack about seeing her information when this is all done. I believe I have a right to know about what she did here after everything I've witnessed.

My phone began vibrating in my pocket startling me out of my thoughts. I pulled it out expecting to see Jack's name in the caller ID but it wasn't.

I flipped my phone open, "Andy?"

"Anwen," he said and I couldn't help but laugh. It was a hysterical laugh though and I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from any more getting out. Nevertheless I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders, as if I'd been holding my breath and now I was breathing again. Andy's alive.

"Where are you? What has happened?"

"I'm in a cupboard… It's very dark in here… I think I've been drugged," he said voice wavering.

"You're in a cupboard? Do you know where that cupboard is? Can you tell me what has happened?"

"I… don't know I went to the meeting and I met with the mayor and there was a light and…" he began whimpering and the pathetic sound broke my heart.

"Listen to me Andy. Owena Clifford, the mayor she is an alien and she and her family have killed people. They tried to kill me and Carwyn now I've been in touch with Torchwood and they are working to stop these aliens. I need you to try and find something that can help tell me where you are. Anything at all. Can you try to get out?"

"I should have known you'd be involved by now. You really are your mother's daughter aren't you?" he continued to talk as he tried to find a way out of the cupboard but the more he spoke the less I heard. I felt like I might be sick.

"Where did you get your cell phone Andy?"

"I found it on the ground beside me when I woke up."

"And you called me not the police department."

"Well there were a lot of missed calls from you. Why? Should I call the police department?"

"Andy, I'm underground the Slitheen have framed me as a terrorist."

"Why would they go to the trouble? I'm scared," he whimpered. I sent out another pulse on the scanner and when it reached the court house all the red lights that had been inside the infrastructure were now outside except for one. The light that represented Jack and Marnie was only just approaching the courthouse while Dylan and Robyn had already arrived at the police department.

"I'm so sorry Andy," I said but I couldn't hang up before I heard the roar I'd come to associate with fireworks over the course of my childhood but fireworks don't end in dial tones. I pull the trigger on the scanner again and watch as the pulse travels over the court house and the single red light that had been inside was gone.